Wave-motor.



Ii. NICHOLSON.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLICATION F1LED 001.22, 1913,

1,11 66,4713 Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT' OBTIOE.

EZRA NICHOLSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WAVE-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

Application led October 22, 1913. Serial N o. 796,551.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Ezex NICHOLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State .of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Vave-lotors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a wave motor andA .one of the objects of .the invention is to provide a simple means for convertmg the rise and fal1 of a wave actuated member into a continuous rotary movement of a-shaft for' conveying power.-

A Another object of the invention is to provide a simple connection between the float and shaft arranged' to multiply the relatively small movement ofthe float, and a stilll further Object is to provide a clutch mechanism between .the float and the driven shaftdesigned so that there will be a minimum lost motion between the parts and so that' the members will be brought into quick positive engagementv ateach change in direction of movementyof the float.

Various-otherobjects of the invention will vbe morefully set forth i'n the following delong as there is anymovement of the float and other new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wave motor disclosing a preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;v Fig. 8. is a plan view looking down upon a portion of the float; Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of the improved form of clutchtaken on the line fl-at of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a sidel elevation of the clutch :partly in section on the irregular line 5-5 of Fig. '-1 lookmg in the directlon indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged shown in Fig. 5.

detailed view of a portion of the clutch In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, a suitable supporting frame 1 has pivotally mounted thereon a float 2, the free end of which is materially weighted, anddisposed in position between suitable guides 3 to be actuated vertically by the waves. 60

The weighting ballast is arranged in a compartment 1, the top of which includes a platform 5 projecting beyond th'e side walls to form aprons 6, which prevent water from being thrown on top of the float. hole 7 in the'platform provides access to the .interior of the compartment.

A driven line shaft 8 is suitably journaled upon the frame 1, above the float 2, and is suitably connected to some driven machine,

such as the generator 9L A. compound clutch 1() is mounted-upon the shaft S, which clutch includes a wheel 11 fixed to the shaft and having peripheral ring flanges 1'2 outstanding from each side thereof. 13 having pulley drums l-l attached thereto are looselyv mounted upon the shaft 8 and on Opposite sides ofthe wheel 11. Each hub has a pair of dogs .15 extending outwardly inopposite direction parallel to the'80 wheel which ldogs have their inner ends pivoted to the" hub 13 bv means of a slot and pin connection 16. The outer end of each dog is disposed slightly in the rear ofl a radius passing through the connection 16 in 85 the direction of rotation of the wheel and has a transverse recess 17 containing the edge of the adjacent flange 12. Each dog has a leaf spring 1S, the free end of which bears upon the advancing side of the periphery of the hub 13 tending to maintain the dog out of engagement with theflanges 12.

A shaft actuating weight 19 of less weight than the float :2 is mounted for vertical 95 movement in guides :2O preferably forming part of the frame 1. -A pair of flexible members 21 having their ends 22 attached to the frame arefirst passed about a pulley Q3 on the float and are then passed several 100 times about the drums 1i and have their other ends attached to the weight 19. One of the flexible 4members 21 is wrapped about one of the drums in .one direction and the other member about the other drum in the opposite direction soA that the downward A man- 65 A pair of hubs' 75 movement of the float will drive one drum in one direction and the downward movement of the weight will positively drive the other drum in the same direction. A winch 21 may be utilized to raise the float into inoperative position if desired.

In operation with the parts as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and with the weight 19 in raised position, the action of the waves on the float 2 will tend to raise the free weight-- ed end of the float and permit the weight 19 to fall to its lowered position, which action will th'row one of the sets of dogs 15 into positive engagement with the flange 12 to drive the wheel 11 and shaft` 8. At' the same time the flange 12 on the other side of the wheel passes through the slots 17 of the other set of dogs, the falling weight taking up the slack in the members 21 and acting on the other drum to drive the'szme-jf' backward. The fall of the waves will their permit the float 2 to drop to a lowered position which action will draw on the members 21, simultaneously acting upon the weight 19 to move the same into the raised position shown in Fig.'2 and to move the set of dogs which were inoperative on the down-ward movement of the weight 19, into shaft driving engagement through their engagement with the wheel 11. This action is continued,

A first the falling weight driving the shaft4 and then the falling float both driving the shaft and raising the weight.

The springs 18 tend to maintain the dogs 15 in such position that the flanges 12 can freely pass through the slots 1T when the drums 14 rotate clockwise, looking at vFig. 5, but when the drive of the drums is anticlockwise the dogs 15 will assume a greater, angular position and grip the flange 12, thus causing the rotation of the wheel 11 and shaft S as indicated by the arrow.

By means of a structure of this character it is possible continually to rotate the line shaftso long as there is any movement of the float 2 even though the movement be relatively slow. It will be particularly noted that the shaft is positively and continually driven b v the altcr'nate falling of the float and weight. While it has been known to utilize a yweigl'it to take up the slack in a float actuated flexible pulle)v member, this is merely incidental with the device herein disclosed and the falling weight 19 is primarily for` the purpose of driving the shaft 8. The pulley connection between the float and weight is such that a relatively small velocity of these members is multiplied atthe drums 11 to give a relatively high angular velocity to the shaft 8.

`T he form of clutch mechanism disclosed, `while of general application, is particularly efficacious in a device of this character. It quickly andv positively connects the parts with a minimum amount of lost motion and is noiseless both whiie driving and while changing from one drive to the other.

While I have described but one set of shaft driving devices itis elw-ions that one or more of these mechanisms may be mount ed to rotate the driven shaft and they may be so arranged relative to the fro/c 'torniation that an upward movement ot' one float may take place during the downward movement of another .float and it is also obvious that various other changes within the skill of the mechanic may be made without de parting from the spirit of the invention provided the means set forth in the following claims are employed.

Having thus described my inventian, I claim Y 1. .In a`wave motor, the combination with supportingfif'ame having a float pivoted etioganlg' ulleysen amovable portion-cf2 said' fltia'df) a-drizven shaft having a wheel fixed thereto, "htibslosely mounted on said shaft and on oppositesides of said wheel, pulley drums affixed to said hubs, a vertically movable weight, means for guiding said weight, flexible connections passed about said pulleys and drums and aflixed to said weight, and spring pressed dogs:

pivoted to each of said hubs and adapted to clutch said wheel to drive the shaft when actuated by said float or weight.

2. In a wave motor; the combination with a wave actuated member, of a driven shaft, a pair of clutch members operatively connected with said shaft when driven in opposite directions, a shaft driving weight, a connection between said member, clutch members and weight for simultaneously driving said shaft and moving said weight into a raised position during the movements of the member in one direction and a connection between said clutch members and said weight when falling for continuing the rotation of the shaft while the member is moving in the other direction.

3. In a wave motor, the combination with a wave actuated member and a shaft adapte ed to be driven thereby, of a raised weight capable of positively driving said shaft'.

wave actuated member having a pairl of.

pulleys mounted thereon, a driven shaft, a vertically movable weight, a pair of clutch members, each operatively connected to the shaft to drive the shaft in the same direction, apair of flexible connections each havwill actl'late the shaft while the wave ing one end fixed and the other end` atber is being lifted by the Waves, tached to the weight, said connections each Thisspecification signed and witnessed passed about one of Said pulleys and about this 20th day of October, A. D., 1913.

one of said clutch members in oppposite EZRA NICHOLSON. directions whereby the falling of the wave- `ed in the presence ofactuated-member will actuate the shaft while raising the Weight and the falling Weight Copie: o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissiner of Intenta,

Washington, D. C. 

